Buffalo Chicken Dip is not complicated, and I've stopped pretending it needs to be. Melt, stir, taste, adjust if needed and it's done. One skillet, thirty minutes, and barely any clean up after. The first bite hits creamy, then the heat sneaks in right behind it, and by the third chip I have stopped counting. It's the dip I make more often than I'd like to admit.
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What makes this different
This recipe swaps cheddar for blue cheese, since that's genuinely what belongs next to Frank's RedHot, and takes the extra step of letting the cream cheese come fully to room temperature so it melts in without a single lump.
It's rich enough that a real squeeze of lemon juice matters here, not just a splash, to keep it from tipping heavy. Leftovers reheat well, so this doesn't have to be a same-day thing if your schedule doesn't allow it.
What I Learned Making This Recipe
The cheese swap sounds small until you taste it side by side. I made this with cheddar for years, mostly out of habit, and never thought twice about it until someone asked why there wasn't any blue cheese in a buffalo chicken dip. That stuck with me. Once I tried it with blue cheese instead, there was no going back to cheddar.
The cream cheese fix took longer to figure out. I kept blaming the recipe itself when the dip came out a little grainy, when really I was just rushing the cream cheese in cold every time. Once I started planning ahead and letting it sit out, the whole texture changed. It's the kind of fix that feels almost too obvious, but it's the one that actually made a difference.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: A few tablespoons of butter adds flavor to the chicken without making it greasy.
- Chicken: A rotisserie chicken is the best short cut to. make this dip even easier.
- Hot Sauce: Frank's Red Hot sauce gives the dip authentic buffalo chicken flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Room temperature cream cheese will melt best and give you a smooth and creamy dip.
- Spices: Onion powder and garlic powder amp up the flavor.
- Sour Cream: Balances the heat of the hot sauce
- Lemon Juice: A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the flavor.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles: Bold blue cheese flavor is the perfect match for this dip. Not a blue cheese fan? Swap in mozzarella or Monterey jack in its place or omit cheese entirely.
Instructions
Step 1
Melt butter in a skillet and add the shredded chicken and hot sauce.
Step 2
Add the room temperature cream cheese and stir until melted.
Step 3
Squeeze the lemon juice, add the spices and stir in the sour cream and heat through.
My Best Tips
- Rotisserie chicken saves real time here. Grab one on the way home and you're most of the way done.
- Let the cream cheese come all the way to room temperature. Cold cream cheese is not the move, it clumps instead of melting in.
- Taste before you salt anything. Between the hot sauce and the blue cheese, there's already plenty going on.
- This one reheats well, so it doesn't have to be a same-day dish. Make it ahead if that's easier.
FAQs
This version has medium heat. To reduce spice, use ½ cup of hot sauce instead of ¾ cup and increase the sour cream to ¾ cup.
Yes! Simply mix all of the ingredients together and put the mixture in a small crock pot and heat on low for 2 hours or until bubbly.
Leave it out, or swap in mozzarella or Monterey Jack. I'll change the gflavor some, but it still works.
My favorite chicken to use is rotisserie chicken or freshly cooked chicken that has been shredded. Canned chicken can be used in a pinch although the texture will be different.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove top or in the mocrowave.
More Dip Recipes
We haven't met a dip we don't like. You can never have too many easy dips in your recipe collection.
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Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Dip (One Skillet)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter (softened)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- ¾ cup Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Buffalo Sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
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Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat.2 tbsp butter
- Add the shredded chicken and hot sauce, stirring until the chicken is coated and the sauce is bubbling gently at the edges.2 cups cooked, shredded chicken, ¾ cup Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Buffalo Sauce
- Add the cubed cream cheese to chicken mixture and stir until fully melted and no streks remain.4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the sour cream. Stir until combined and cook on medium low heat through until warm and glossy.½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, fresh lemon juice, ½ cup sour cream
- Add blue cheese crumbles and scallions and serve with chips or celery sticks.¼ cup blue cheese crumbles, ¼ cup chopped scallions
Notes
- Use room-temperature cream cheese for a smooth melt.
- Rotisserie chicken saves time.
- Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days, reheat gently
VIDEO
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Margaret says
I live in the UK, what can I use instead of ¾ cup Frank’s RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Buffalo Sauce thank you
Lisa says
Hi Margaret! Any sort of Buffalo wing type sauce will work in the dip. I'm not sure what your choices are over in the UK. Hope this helps!
Rachel says
Made this dip today during the Falcons Dolphins game. The dip was a huge hit and was gone before the game ended. Thanks for sharing!!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
We have a game watch almost every single week at our place. Adding this to my repertoire of apps! My husband may marry me all over again 😉
Lisa says
Thanks, Julia! We eat it more often than I like to admit during football season 🙂
Julia says
I love buffalo chicken dip! It is one of my favorite dips at a party or tailgate. This is such an easy version!